A 32-year-old father of two small children lived in the midwestern united states. an avid hunter since childhood, the man visited annually with family and friends in colorado for elk hunting. his job required frequent travel to europe, where he enjoyed exotic foods. in 1988, his wife recalls, he began having problems. frequently he forgot to pick up things from the store or even that his wife had called him. later that year, he was unable to complete paperwork at his business and had difficulty performing even basic math. in england on business, he had forgotten his home phone number in the united states and couldn't remember how to spell his name for directory assistance. by september, his wife insisted he seek medical care. all the standard blood tests came back normal. a psychologist diagnosed depression, but a brain scan revealed spongiform changes. he was given six weeks to live because there is no treatment for this disease.